Virtual Reality Headsets are often associated with gaming and entertainment, but these devices are starting to infiltrate many industries, including new home development and marketing. VR technology can bring your homes directly to your buyers, whether they live in Shanghai or down the street. Between explosive growth projected, the cost of the technology becoming more affordable and the wide adoption of VR headsets by consumers, savvy realtors, builders and marketing agencies are beginning to recognize VR headsets as an instrumental tool on multiple fronts. Whether you want to attract buyers relocating to a new city, work with buyers from abroad, or help buyers visualize your properties in development, VR can give you a competitive edge.
Accessibility
Sure, there’s nothing like being there in person to experience the real thing, but sometimes, that’s just not possible. With its capacity for immersive storytelling, VR headsets can give prospective buyers a unique and exciting 360-degree virtual tour —the next best thing to actually being in the home itself. The possibilities VR represents for homebuyers are endless; not only does VR make it easier for local buyers by making the viewing process simpler and more accessible, it also gives investors easier access to local properties that otherwise may not be on their radar.
Pre-Sales
The best option for a buyer would be to walk through the home, but in the case of homes that only exist on paper, VR offers the next best thing. Renderings and blueprints are useful selling tools, but can leave questions unanswered. Using virtual reality, home buyers can tour homes that don’t yet exist, making them more confident in their purchasing decision by giving them a feel for a space’s dimensions, flow and possibilities. For homes where location is a primary selling point, VR can even allow prospective buyers to experience the surroundings and area amenities. Have a great view you want buyers to experience? Add it to your virtual tour to show buyers what they will actually see when they look out their windows. Home buying is an emotional decision – VR can help attach that emotion to a vision.
For custom homes that are not yet built, home builders can also utilize this technology to show buyers how different custom options can look in the home and allow A/B testing of different models, layouts and design options or upgrades. By allowing clients to engage with a home in its preliminary stages, this makes home buyers feel more comfortable moving forward with the purchasing process.
As VR headsets become a more standard mainstream device, VR technology will become an integral part of the planning, marketing, and sales processes of new homes. While VR is a tool that still needs development to reach it’s full potential, savvy home builders should embrace this new technology to maintain a competitive advantage in today’s market.
By Bill Doughty –
Digital SEM Specialist
